16/02/14
Jordanne Whiley and Jamie Burdekin retained their women’s singles and quad singles titles as the North West Challenge came to an end with Hungary’s Laszlo Farkas winning the men’s singles title at Britain’s first of nine world ranking events on the 2014 ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
Whiley and Farkas ended the ITF 3 Series event with a brace of titles after victories in the women’s doubles and men’s double finals with their respective partners, while Adam Field and James Shaw caused an upset in a thrilling conclusion to the all-British quad doubles final.
Top seed Whiley secured her fifth women’s title at South Ribble Tennis Centre as the world No. 6 and British No. 1 beat British No. 3 and fourth seed Louise Hunt, the 2011 champion, 6-0, 6-2. Whiley had previously won the title in 2007, 2008 and 2009 when the tournament had ITF Futures Series status and regained the crown in 2013 when the North West Challenge had ITF 3 Series status for the first time.
“I’m really pleased to end on such a good note for my fifth North West Challenge title and win my first tournament back on British soil after my first Grand Slam doubles title at the Australian Open,” said Whiley. “I feel like I’m playing well and it bodes well for the Bolton Indoors that starts on Wednesday.”
Burdekin won his third North West Challenge quad singles title since 2009 after repeating his win over fellow North West athlete Antony Cotterill in the 2013 semi-finals. Second seed and world No. 8 Burdekin beat top seed and world No. 7 Cotterill 6-1, 7-6(3) to complete a local win at the tennis centre at which the two-time Paralympian trains.
“It wasn’t the best second set for me today, but it’s always special to win at my home tennis centre and good to get another win over a top 10 player in an all-North West final,” said Burdekin.
After ending any prospects of an all-French final with a victory over French top seed Thomas Vinatier in the semi-finals, third seed Farkas ended the North West Challenge having beaten the top two seeds after a 7-6(6), 1-6, 6-2 win over second seed Yoann Quilliou.
After winning the women’s doubles in 2013 partnering Russia’s Evgeniya Korotkina, Whiley teamed up with Colombia’s Johana Martinez to claim victory this year. After beating the French second seeds in the semi-finals, Whiley and Martinez beat all-British top seeds Hunt and Lauren Jones 6-2, 7-5.
The closest finish on the last day of competition came in the quad doubles final as Field and Shaw edged out top seeds Burdekin and Cotterill 6-4, 2-6, (10-8) after a deciding championship tie-break, with Field retaining the title he has previously won partnering Cotterill.
There was a comfortable win for top seeds Farkas and Quilliou in the men’s doubles final as they earned a 6-3, 6-1 win over South African second seeds Leon Els and Marshall Marsh.
Councillor Dorothy Gardner, Mayor of South Ribble, was guest of honour at South Ribble Tennis Centre on the final day and presented the trophies to the winners and runners-up.
15/02/14
Jordanne Whiley and Louise Hunt set up an all-Brit women’s singles final after both winning their semi-finals in straight sets on the penultimate day of the North West Challenge, as Hungary’s Laszlo Farkas beat top seed Thomas Vinatier to set up a men’s singles final against Frenchman Yoann Quilliou.
Whiley continued her women’s title defence with a comfortable 6-3, 6-0 win over French third seed Charlotte Famin while her fellow London 2012 Paralympian and fourth seed Hunt upset German second seed Bianca Osterer 7-6(0), 6-1 to set up a final between two former champions.
With Antony Cotterill and Jamie Burdekin already into the quad singles final, there will now be two all-British singles finals on Sunday.
Second seed Quilliou brought Brit Alex Jewitt’s sequence of three set wins to an end in the last four in the men’s singles after Jewitt went to a deciding set for the third day in a row. Quilliou prevailed 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, but third seed Farkas denied top seed Thomas Vinatier the opportunity to set up an all-French final after winning their semi-final 7-6(3), 6-2 in their semi-final.
Both seeded partnerships are through to the men’s doubles final after top seeds Farkas and Quilliou beat Israel’s Asaaf Stokol and Vinatier 7-6(3), 2-6, 7-5. South African second seeds Leon Els and Marshall Marsh ended British hopes after beating Jewitt and Tony Knappett 6-3, 7-6(2).
A British winner is guaranteed in the women’s singles after top seeds Hunt and Lauren Jones defeated Russian duo Ludmila Bubnova and Evgeniya Korotkina 7-6(2), 6-4. Meanwhile, Whiley secured her second win of the day over French opposition when partnering Colombia’s Johana Martinez to beat second seeds Emilie Chene and Famin 6-4, 6-2.
Sunday’s finals at South Ribble Tennis Centre start at 9.30am. Entry is FREE to spectators.
14/02/14
Antony Cotterill and Jamie Burdekin justified their seedings to earn their place in the quad singles final on the second day of play at the North West Challenge as the quad doubles finalists were also decided along with the men’s and women’s singles and doubles semi-finalists.
World No. 7 Cotterill beat South African fourth seed Bongani Dlamini 6-3, 6-1 in his semi-final and, with three Brits in the last four, defending champion and world No. 8 Burdekin powered to a 6-0, 6-0 win over third seed Adam Field. Cotterill and Burdekin will now go head-to-head in Sunday’s final.
Later in the day top seeds Burdekin and Cotterill beat fellow Brits Richard Green and Ian Payne 6-2 6-1 to reach the quad doubles final, which will be another all-British contest after second seeds Field and James Shaw prevailed 1-6, 7-5, (10-8) against Dlamini and Sophie Fraioli of France.
Three out of the four seeds will contest the men’s singles semi-finals. After beating the fourth seed on the opening day, two-time Paralympian Alex Jewitt again went to three sets as he beat Israel’s Asaaf Stokol 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. Jewitt is the last Brit left in the men’s singles after French second seed Yoann Quilliou defeated Scott Smith 6-2, 6-1 ahead of meeting Jewitt in the last four.
Top seed Thomas Vinatier of France had to go to a deciding set for the second day in succession before defeating Marshall Marsh of South Africa 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Vinatier’s semi-final opponent will be third seed Laszlo Farkas of Hungary after Farkas secured a 6-2, 6-1 win over Russia’s Leonid Shevchik.
Jordanne Whiley opened her women’s single title defence with a 6-0, 6-0 win over fellow Brit Val Fisher, while third seed Louise Hunt also reached the last four without dropping a game against Debbie Brazier. Whiley will play French third seed Charlotte Famin in the semi-finals, while Hunt will take on German second seed Bianca Osterer after Osterer edged to a 6-4, 6-3 win over young Brit Lauren Jones.
Both seeded pairings are successfully through to the men’s doubles semi-finals, with top seeds Farkas and Quilliou to play Stokol and Vinatier for a place in the final, while South African second seeds Leon Els and Marsh face Brits Jewitt and Tony Knappett.
After a bye into the semi-finals of the women’s doubles, top seeds Hunt and Jones will play Russia’s Evgeniya Korotkina and Ludmila Bubnova. Whiley, who partnered Jones to win the doubles in 2013, has paired up with Colombia’s Johana Martinez this year and the duo dropped just one game to Britain’s Helen Bond and Elizabeth Williams of the USA en route to setting up a semi-final against French second seeds Emilie Chene and Famin.
13/02/14
Brits Alex Jewitt and James Shaw produced the outstanding results on the first day of the North West Challenge before Shaw saw his bid for a place in the quad singles semi-finals ended by top seed Antony Cotterill.
Shaw beat Sophie Fraioli of France, a player ranked 50 places higher, 6-3, 6-7(7), 7-6(5) to move into the quarter-finals of the quad singles, but world No. 7 Cotterill celebrated his 34th birthday with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Shaw. Cotterill will face South Africa’s Bongani Dlamini for a place in the final after Dlamini won his opening match 6-0, 6-0. Second seed and defending champion Jamie Burdekin dropped just one game to Ian Payne in an all-British bottom half of the draw and will go on to play fourth seed Adam Field.
Jewitt knocked out South African fourth seed Leon Els in the first round of the men’s singles. After his 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 win Jewitt will join Scott Smith as the only two Brits in the men’s singles quarter-finals, with Smith set to face French second see Yoann Quilliou in the last eight following his 6-0, 6-2 win over fellow Brit Steve Crompton. While Quilliou eased into the quarter-finals after defeating local player Tony Knappett, his fellow Frenchman and top seed Thomas Vinatier had a tough opening match against Brit Ed Holt, with Vinatier eventually prevailing 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-1.
South Africa’s Marshall Marsh, third seed Laszlo Farkas of Hungary, Leonid Shevchik of Russia and Israel’s Asaaf Stokol complete the quarter-final line-up.
The three seeded women’s singles players in action all eased into the last eight, including former North West Challenge champion and fourth seed Louise Hunt, who beat Emilie Chene of France 6-0, 6-2. The two three set matches on the opening day of the women’s singles were both won by Brits as Val Fisher beat Helen Bond 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-2 to set up a quarter-final against top seed and defending champion Jordanne Whiley, while Debbie Brazier edged past Russia’s Evgeniya Korotkina 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 to set up a meeting with Hunt. There was another solid with for young Brit Lauren Jones, whose 6-1, 6-3 win over Colombia’s Johana Martinez earned her a quarter-final against German second seed Bianca Osterer, who also beat USA’s Elizabeth Williams 6-1, 6-3. Third seed Charlotte Famin of France will face Ludmila Bubnova of Russia in the other women’s quarter-final.
12/02/14
World No. 8 and second seed Jamie Burdekin will begin his quad singles title defence against fellow Brit Ian Payne on the first day of play after the draw was made on Wednesday evening at South Ribble Tennis Centre.
Burdekin’s fellow North West player, top seed and world No. 7 Antony Cotterill will face Sophie Fraioli of France or Brit James Shaw in the quarter-finals as the top two seeds bid to earn places in the semi-finals.
Women’s singles defending champion and world No. 6 Jordanne Whiley has a bye into the last eight and will play one of two fellow Brits, Helen Bond or Val Fisher, for a place in the semi-finals. German second seed Bianca Oster takes on USA’s Elizabeth William, while French third seed Charlotte Famin meets South Africa’s Thondalwethu Hlatswayo and British No. 3 and former champion Louise Hunt, the fourth seed, takes on Emilie Chene of France.
Brit Ed Holt will be the first round opponent for top seed Thomas Vinatier in the men’s singles, while both top seeded Frenchmen will face British players as Yoann Quilliou plays Tony Knappett.
06/02/14
Local Lancashire-based Paralympian Jamie Burdekin and London 2012 medallist Jordanne Whiley are among an entry of 50 players from 12 countries set to contest the North West Challenge, Britain’s first world ranking tournament of the year on the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour, which takes place at South Ribble Tennis Centre near Preston on 13 - 16 February.
Now in its eighth year, the North West Challenge is sanctioned as an ITF 3 Series tournament for the second successive year and is supported by the Tennis Foundation and sponsored by TBS Sports.
Burdekin will bid to retain the quad singles title he won in 2013 at his home training venue, when he beat South Africa’s Lucas Sithole in the final. The world No. 8 from Blundellsands beat current world No.2 and reigning US Open champion Sithole again in his first tournament of 2014 in Sydney, as well as fellow Brit and current world No. 7 Antony Cotterill.
While Sithole is not amongst this year’s entry, Cotterill is and the Cheshire-based player and Burdekin are set to be the top two seeds for the quad singles, with Adam Field, who partnered Cotterill to win the quad doubles in 2013 also boosting the British challenge. South Africa’s Bongani Dlamini and Sophie Fraioli of France provide the overseas challenge.
“To win my first title of 2013 at my home tennis centre was really special and after such an encouraging start to 2014 and regaining my place in the world’s top eight I’m looking forward to trying to do the same again,” said Burdekin. “I encourage anyone who may never have seen wheelchair tennis to come down and watch some top class sport.”
Three weeks after becoming the first British woman to win a Grand Slam wheelchair tennis title, Australian Open women’s doubles champion and London 2012 women’s doubles bronze medallist Whiley is one of five players ranked inside the world’s top 25 who will contest the women’s singles. British No. 1 and world No. 6 Whiley is joined in the field by fellow London 2012 Paralympian Louise Hunt, also a former North West Challenge champion, and 18-year-old Lauren Jones, a member of Britain’s World Team Cup-winning junior team in 2013. Germany’s Bianca Osterer and Charlotte Famin of France join Whiley and Hunt among and the top four seeds, while the remaining seeds include players from Colombia, Russia, South Africa and the USA.
Frenchmen Thomas Vinatier and Yoann Quilliou are set to be top the seeds in the men’s main draw singles alongside Laszlo Farkas of Hungary and Leon Els of South Africa. An entry that also includes players from Israel, Italy, the Netherlands and Russia, will see two-time Paralympian Alex Jewitt and up-and-coming Paul Stewart and Ed Holt among the leading British challengers.
Meanwhile, Tournament Director and former Great Britain World Team Cup player Tony Knappett is set to contest the men’s second draw singles this year and joins Burdekin among the local entries, which also include Helen Bond in the women’s singles.
"This is one the biggest entries and widest spread of countries we’ve had in the eight year-history of the North West Challenge, so I’m delighted that we will have such a strong international field this year,” said Knappett.
“The tournament continues to attract new players from around the world, and with Jamie and Jordanne among the leading home contenders as they try to defend their titles we are looking forward to an exciting four days of wheelchair tennis. I would like to thank the team at the Tennis Foundation for all they’ve done again to support this year’s event."
Entry is free for spectators